Soup is my newest hobby. Every one I make is an experiment, and I don't think I've yet made the same soup twice or yet made one I didn't like. Here are some of the basic "frameworks" for my favorite soups.

Barb Soup

I wanted to create a soup for Barb's laryngitis that was full of herbs with reputed healing powers, as well as that "essence of soup" that makes "chicken soup" an icon of healing. Even if you don't make this soup yourself, I hope you can get "soup essence" from this page. (gif courtesy of bluemountain cards who have great ecards.)

Liquefy in blender:

1 Tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves
1 Tablespoon fresh oregano and/or marjoram leaves
1/4 cup celery heart and leaves
1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves
6 cloves of garlic
1 apple or pear, cored and peeled
2 cups of water

Cook this about and hour with:

1 bay leaf
herb ball with thyme, sage and basil
1 cup carrots
1 cup zucchini
1 cup onions
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup apple juice
1 Tablespoon of molasses
8 cups of water

If spiciness is desired, add white pepper, chili powder and/or chili sauce

Then add one cup of noodles and cook another 10 minutes.

Hot and Sour Soup

4 cups water
1/4 cup soy sauce
4 oz tofu in thin strips

Bring this to a boil, then stir in one beaten egg. Turn off heat and add:

2 Tablespoons vinegar
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 green onion, cut in bits

Tomato and Zucchini Soup

1 28 oz can of tomatoes
1/2 cup wine
1/4 cup apple juice
1/4 cup soy sauce
6 cups water
2 teaspoons bouillon
1 Tablespoon Italian Seasoning
1 teaspoon white pepper
4 cloves of garlic
1 cup zucchini
1 cup carrots
1 green pepper
1 cup onion

Simmer about an hour, then add one cup of pasta and cook another 10 minutes. For a very "meal" soup, use tortellini